Vehicle-tire.



No. 743,043. I PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903. G. W. SOUTHWIGK. VEHICLE TIRE. APPLIOATION FILED AUGQ29, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

M/zfinesses, J74 62W.

U ITE STATES iatehted November 3, 190%.

PATENT -OFF-ICE.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

SPECIFIOATTON forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,043, dated November 3, 1903.

i Application filed August 29, 1902. Serial No. 121,461. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SOUTHWICK, of Franklin, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- Tires, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a cross-section of my improved tire; Fig. 2, a like view showing a modification and the tire mounted on the wheelfelly; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4:, a top plan view showing the cover-lacing, and Fig. 5 a cross-section illustrating a modification in the inner tube;

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings. Y

My invention relates especially to an improvement in rubber-covered tires, particularly designed for use on automobiles or heavy electrically-propelled vehicles, wherein it is essential that the tires should have the required resiliency and yet be light, strong, and particularly tough in resisting lateral strain or stress. On automobiles and similar carriages much difficulty has been experienced and much cost engendered from the rapid wearing out or tearing of the rubber tires. In fact, it has been found in practice that pneumatic tires are substantially impracticable for this use and that a solid rubber tire is not only too heavy, but tears in the tread and frequently accidentally detaches from the rim or felly, rendering accidents liable when the vehicle is moving at high speed. My invention overcomes these and other objections, and while in some features similar to the device shown in my United States Patent No. 678,055, dated July 9, 1901, so improves that device as to render it applicable for use with this class of vehicles.

The nature and operation of the improve ments will be understood from the following explanation.

felly, B the spoke, and G the rubber outer casing of the tire, which is provided in the usual manner with a thickened tread.

D represents the core of the tire. This of a tube split longitudinally into two members a: y. The bending of these members into the ring or circle is accomplished by steaming or what is known as sweating the material, aided by V-shaped kerfs ,2, out later ally in their outer surfaces. The ends of the tube or ring thus formed are overlapped or left freeto slip in a band or thimble of most ordinary construction to allow for sufficient play to spring the tire onto the felly A, which is of the'usual grooved construction. The outer face of the outer member 3 I groove longitudinally at t in order that the material of the casin g C may project therein and guard against lateral movement independent of said core D; but this is not essential, as after the tire is mounted it is impossible to turn it laterally, the greater circumference being on the outside.

Interiorly of each member 0a yI form an integral projection f f These projections in the completed core register, as shown in Fig. 3, and form trusses, whereby the heart of the tire is greatly strengthened without materially increasing the weight, or instead of each member having a projection a single lip, as g in Fig. 5, may be formed on a member and tongued into the companion, as at h. In fact, any method of providing a truss or support between the two tube members may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention. This tongue, moreover, will efiectually prevent lateral movement of said members. In Fig. 2 I show another method by overlapping or dovetailing the edges of said members together, as at 11. Now between the edges of the members a: y and between the meeting edges of the truss projectionsff I incorporate a layer of rubber is. This I discover very materially increases the resilience of the completed tire and is salient in my invention.

' comprises, primarily, a hoop of wood formed canize eyes m, which will register wheninclosing' the hoop-core D andthrough which a lacing-wire 1) may readily be passed. It will be understood that any of the well-known methods of lacing the edges of this casing together may be employedas, for example, hooks and eyes, flexible loops of metal, or other means.

When the parts are assembled as illus-; trated, as is well known to those skilled in the art, by means of the spreading levers in common usefor the purpose, the diameter of the tire may be sufficiently and momentarily enlarged to enable the operator to spring it over the edge of the telly A, into the groove of which it will rebound. Then the ends of the lacing 19 may be fastened together.

I discover by experiment that a tire constructed on'this principle has very great resilience, that it is practically as light as a pneumatic tire and much more elfective in T resisting wear necessarily met in heavy ve hicles, that it'is impervious to puncture, or

at least any damage caused therebygthat gthe' hoop-core, with the elastic material between its members, adds to the resiliency by "its own spring, makes the tire very rigid in resisting lateral strain, particularly when cor -ners or irregular courses are attempted" at high speed, and that the outer casing C wears far longer than does even the surface of an ordinary solid rubber tire.

Of course it will be understood that I- do ;notconfine myself to constructing the core of wood, as other material might be employed,

7 although I believe wood to be the n1ostprac =5tical; nor do I- confine myself to any particular method of securing the casing or thetire the meeting edges of said members; and-de-l vices-for securing said casing around said core.

2. The herein-described tire comprising a wooden core formed in two members; trusses between said members; and the casing, 0, having lacing-eyes at its meeting edges.

3. In a vehicle-tire, the combination of a core comprising two semitubular sections composed of substantially rigid material, and an outer casing of elastic material surrounding said core.

4: Ina vehicle-tire, the combination of a core comprising. two semitubular sections composed of substantially rigid material, said sections having interlocking joints, and an outer casing of elastic material surrounding saidcore.

5. In a vehicle-tire,'-the combination of a core comprising two semitubular sections com posed of substantially rigid material, both of "said sect-ions havinginternal registering projections forming trusses, and an outer casing of elastic material surrounding said core.

6. In a'vehicle-tireythe combination of a core comprising two semitubular sections composed of substan tially rigidmater-ial, said sections having an elastic material between them, and an outer casing of elastic material core comprising two semitubular sections composed ofsubstantially rigid material, both of said sections havinginternal registering projections forming trusses and havingelastic material between them, and an outer casing .ofelastic material surrounding said core.

GEORGE W. SOUTHWICK. Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, JNO. J. DAVIS. 

